Henry a



@tritt-h tatrs atwt @fitta Letters Partnr No. 77,728, dared May 12, 1868.

IMPROVED ANKLE 0R KNEE-GUARD.

' tlge tlgtiule referat tu in tigen tttttts attnt zum' linking :gaat nt tige time 'IO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HALL, oi" Boston,in the county o'-, Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Ankle or Knee-Guard for the leg o f a horse; 'and do hereby Adeclare-the same to be fullyldescribed in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, and

Figurel a side elevation of it.

The purpose of my said guard is to prevent the hoot' or shoe of a horse, while the animal may be in movement, from Contact with and thereby cutting or bruising or otherwise injuring the ankle or knee of. the next adjacent leg.

In carrying out my invention,I combine with the band or belt to go around and be buckled or fastened to the leg of a horse, above the ankle thereof, a series of elastic proj projected from such band or belt in manner as represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- A denotes the band or belt, provided with a buckle, a, atene end, and a strap, Zz, at the other, and also with the series of elastic poi-nts, projections, or feelers c c c.- 'I

I usually cast or makethe feelers and band in one piece, of India rubber or its equivalent, which I subsequently vulcanize, butv the feelers may bc made of that materialpand the band or belt may be made ofleathcr, or otber`su'itable material. i I

Furthermore, I generally make the band with two cushions e e, arranged so as to project from its inner surface, in manner as represented, such being to enable the band lto tit, and'keep it from turning around on the leg of a horse, when appliedthereto.

When the guard is in use, the elastic feelers will be carried by the striking log against the other leg ofthe animal, and, without doing injury thereto, will-cause him to keep the striking leg at a proper distance from the other` leg while both are in movement. I n

Each projection or feeler is to be made so as to be substantially as iiexile in a vertical or oblique as it is in a horizontal-direction, it having for this purpose avertical cross-section. Thus it can play freely in any ections or feelers, they being formed and` direction in which, when in use, it may be likely to bc moved by contact with the leg of the horse. This is very important, for, it`made as represented in the United States Patent, No. GQJGS'I, dated January 1, 1867, i

that is, as a triangular prism set npedgewise, it has no flexibility in vertical direction in coxnparison with what it has in horizontal directions; in other words, itV is so comparatively stift or rigid in vertical directions aste render it dangerous, or very liable, when in use, to do'injury to the leg of the'horse. i i

Besides the device represented and described in such patent isha hoof-pad, it being intended to be worn on the hoot` ot' a horse, whereas my ankle or knee-guard is intended to be worn on that part of' the leg which is above thc ankle, and it has two cushions to its band, such cushions being to lit into the opposite cavities ot' the leg.

I therefore mukeno claimfto 'the invention described in the aforesaid patent; but What I claim, and desirei'to secure by Letters Patent, is As a new article of manufacture, an ankle or knee-guard, in'whielrth'eband or belt is provided with a series of independent and separate feelers of vulcanized rubber, constructed or formed in the manner herein shown and specified, so that each Feeler shall be uniformly iiexile in various directions.A

` H. A. HALL.

Witnesses:

-R. H. EDDY,

F. P. HALE, Jr. 

